Fire-escape



2 sheets-'sheen 1.

(No Model.)

D. N.1VIGLEOD.

PIRE ESCAPE.

` Patented May 8, 1.894.

WASHINGTON. n. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. N. lVIeLEOD.

FIRE ESCAPE Patented May 8, 1894.

Noi 519,615.

@www1/50A, D-

202), e5 @mom l UNITED lSTATES lPATENT OFFICE.

DoNALD N. MoLsoD, or SoUTH LANCASTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIREESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 519,615, dated May 8, 1894. Application filed May 1, 1893 Serial No. 472,565. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, DONALD N. McLEoD, a subject of 'the Queen of Great Britain, residing at South Lancaster, in they county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

The aim of this invention is to provide a new and improved fire 'escape by which a per` son can safely slide down a rope, and by which, it will be impossible for a person to fall.

To this end, the invention consists of the device described and claimed in this specification, and illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved device. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking toward the left. Fig. 3 is a side elevation from the opposite side relatively to Fig. 1, andl Fig. lis a view illustrating the way my fire-escape is used.

My improved hre-escape embodies a nonrotatable drum and cylinder, around which the rope can be turned or wound a number of times, and a spring-pressed brake normally acting on the rope so as to prevent the device v from sliding down the rope.

The device also carries means by which a person can be supported(y When the brake is slightly released, the drum will slide in the loopin the rope, and will allow the person to gradually and safely descend to the ground.

My device is also so arranged that the same can be applied to the rope at any intermediate point, and it is not necessary to getat an end of the rope to attach my improvedy device thereto.

Referring now to the drawings and in detail, I will specifically describe one preferred form of my device.

10 and 11 represent frames or flanges, be-

A tween which is formed a cylinder or drum 12.

The parts constituting the mainframe of my device are preferably made out of wroughtiron or sheet-metal, and stamped up, struck or forged and welded into shape; although, of course, it is within the scope of myinvention to make the parts out of cast-metal. Secured to the side flange 10, as by means of screws 14, is the inlet guide 13 for the rope A, which is bent around as at 130, so as to guide the rope nicely on to the drumor cylinder 12. I also provide an outlet guide 15, and

this outlet guide 15 may be made part of the 55 side flange 11, if so desired; and this outlet guide is bent around as .at to partially encircle the rope, as shown, so as to nicely guidethe rope away from the device.

It will be seen, that so far described, the\6o .outlet part of the rope in the guide 15. 17,65

preferably also provide means whereby the outlet part of the rope' is securely held in the outlet guide 15, so that, if the person using the fire-escape should get swaying or badly shaking, the outlet rope, could not, by any means, 7o

be displaced from the outlet guide.

Formed or struck up from the guidel are the ears 17, in which ears 17 is mounted a shaft 20, and on this shaft 2O is arranged a lever or latch 18, which has an extending tongue 19, which 7 5 is adapted to fit into Vnotches 16 and 160 cut in the guide 15G-d5, as shown. Integral with this latch 18 is the thumb-piece 2l, and this thumb-piece mayhave an extending hollow hub 210, as shown, into which maybe ft- 8o ted a spring 22, which is adapted to bear upon the side iiange 11. When it is desired to place the rope lin the outlet guide 15, all that is necessary is to press with the thumb on the thumb-piece 21, when the catch 18-19 S 5 will be moved clear of the outlet guide, so that the rope can be easily snapped into the Same; and normally this latch 18-19 holds the rope in the outlet guide to prevent any possible accident. l side flange 11 are ears 23 between which may be arranged a Suitable handle 24, by which a person can hold and guide himself nicely with the descending fire-escape. The side flange 11 also hasv an extending'ear 25 which is bent 95 around and rivetedl as at 26, and in the loop thus formed is placed a ring 27 to which the body straps B and C are attached. The guide 13 is bent out 'as at 131 to form a guide in whi'ch the sliding piece 28 is adapted to move. loo

The ends of this sliding piece 28 are bent in as at 280 and 29, as shown, and fitting through the bent-in portion 29, and secured in the n drum 12 is the shaft 30, on whichis itted the Extending outfrom the 9o spring 31, which spring 31 bears against the struck-in portion 29v and the inside of the drum 12, and thereby normally forces the shoe into engagement with the rope. Secured to this sliding piece 28 by means of screws or rivets 33 is a rack 32. Secured to the bent-in portion 280 of the sliding piece 28, by means of screws 35 is a brake or shoe 36, which bears against the incoming part of the rope A, which normally prevents the rope Afrom sliding around the drinn 12, the spring 30 normally keeping the shoe 3G against the rope A. Fitted in the side ange 10 is a small shaft 37, on which is keyed or fastened a lever or handle 38, which handle may be held in place by means of nuts 39, as shown. Secured to the inside of the flange 10 may be arranged a bracket 40, which may be held in place byl means of screws 41, and this bracket may carry the inner end of the shaft 37, as shown. Also keyed ,or fastened to the shaft 37 is a gear 43 which meshes with the rack 32 secured to the sliding piece 28. Thus, by means of this handle 38, the brake or shoe 36 can be lifted clear of the rope, and the rope allowed to slip around the drum or cylinder 12.

The parts are preferably so proportioned that the hand can just about grasp the handle 38 and the inlet guide 13, and thus can nicely control the brake.

A stop 44 is foimed or fastened on the side flange 10, as shown, so as to limit the movement of the piece 28 and the distance which the brake can be moved clear of the rope A.

In some cases, when a comparatively large rope is used, it is necessary to move the brake a considerable distance from the drum in order to quickly pass the rope A around the drum. This can be done by springing the lever 38 past the shoulder 45 of the stop 44. The stop 44 is inclined, as shown, so that, if the person using the tire-escape should accidentally pull the handle beyond the stop, when the person released the handle, the lever 38 would run up over the inclined portion, and the brake would not, by any means, be held away from the rope.

I preferably use two straps as B and C 5 the strap B having small spring clips as b Zi,- and the strap C having small spring clips as c c, which spring clips are snapped into the ring 27, as shown in Fig. 4. One of these straps as B is preferably placed so as to enable the person to sit upon it, who is using the fireescape; and the other is passed under the arms. By this means, the two straps will form a sort of chair or support for the person, and will easily and nicely support the person.

The way my device is used is shown in Fig. 4. The device is attached to the rope by winding the rope around the drum 12, put

ting the inlet part of the rope in the inlet guide 13, and the outlet part of the rope in the guide 15, which is done by moving the latch 18 free, as before described. Then the straps B and C are adj usted around the person, as shown, the top of the rope, of course being tied or Xed tosome support. rl he rope A normally will not slip around the drum or cylinder 12, so that the person `normally will not descend upon the rope.

The person using the fire-escape preferably places one hand upon the handle 24 to guide and support himself, and with the other hand 'grasps the handle 38, preferably placing his hand around the inlet guide 13. Then, when the person desires to descend, he moves the handle 38, and thus moves the brake or shoe away from the ,inlet rope. This will allow the rope to slip around the drum 12, and the device and the person to descend to the ground, the speed being regulated, of course, by the amount the brake is released from the ro e.

llly device is very simple and very advantageous for the purpose described, and has many advantages, among which may be enumerated that the device can be attached tothe rope at any part of its whole lengthLand 1t 1s not necessary to find an end of the rope to attach the device. Also, when one person has descended, it will be seen that the device can be hauled back, and detached from the rope, and again re-attachedto any part of the rope, or to another rope, if desired; and thus,a number of persons can descend by the same device. It will also be seen that the use of two straps enables the person to be nicely supported and held while he is using the fire-escape. Further, it will be seen that, the rope running around the circumference 4ot' the cylinder or drum, friction is thereby reduced on the rope, making the wear of the same very sllght and only needing a very slight brake or check on the rope to stop the descent. Also 1t 1s an important point having the device so that the same will normally not operate; as, if a person using the same should faint or meet with some accident, he will be held in his then position until the brake is again released. This also allows free use of the hands, which is important, as the person descending might become entangled with wires or trees, and by having free use of his hands, he is enabled to easily disentangle himself. Also it will be seen that the hands of the person using the fire-escape need not at all be applied to the rope. A practical use has demonstrated that my fire-escape possesses all these advantages, and is a very safe and efficient device.

The details and arrangement of the parts herein shown and described may be greatly varied by a skilled mechanic without departing from the scope of my invention as expressed in the claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A re escape consisting essentially of a non-rotatable drum or cylinder, about which the rope may be wound, of an inlet and outlet guide for guiding the rope to and from the IOG cylinder and keeping the sameon the cylinmediate point between its ends without removing orchanging any part ot the structure, substantially as described.

2. A tire-escape consisting essentially of a non-rotatable drum or cylinder,-around which the rope may be wound, means whereby the person may be carried by the device, means for checking and regulating the slip of the rope around the drum or cylinder, inlet and outlet guides for leading the rope to f and from the drum or cylinder, and a latch or catch for holding the rope inthe outlet guide, substantially as described. l

3. A tire-escape consisting of a non-.rotatable drum or cylinder having side flanges, about which drum or cylinder a rope may be wound, inlet and outlet guides for leading the rope to and from the drum or cylinder and for holding the rope upon the cylinder, anda springpressed brake as 36, normally exerting pressure upon the inlet` end of the rope, substantially as described.-

4.. A fire-escape consisting of a drum or cylinder, around which the rope may be wound,

a spring-pressed brake checking and regulating the slip of the rope around the drum, a lever for operating said brake, and a stop as 4:4 for limiting the movement of said brake,

said stop being inclined so that by springing `35 the lever, the brakecan be lifted a considerable distance from the drum, sov that the rope can be easily put in place, but so that, if the lever should be in use, moved beyond .the stop, that the same will run up the incline, and ret-urn to its normal position, substanti'ally as described. l

In testimony whereof. I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

y 'DONALD N. McLEoD.v

Witnesses:

HENRY N. BIGELOW, E. F. MERRICK. 

